Resilient wheel.



MARTIN GROSSMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed August 27, 1917. Serial No. 188,437.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN GRossMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ot the city ot New York, borough ot the Bronx, county ot Bronx, and State ot New York, have invented a new and Improved Resilient vWheel, ot which the tollowing is a tull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to resilient wheels and has particular reterence to wheels having a flexible and 'resilient tread portion.

Among the objects ot the invention is to provide a wheel having a spring rim or tread portion comprising a circumferential series ot radially disposed rounded or elliptical spring elements, the entire wheel having an appearance very similar to an ordinary pneumatic tired wheel and whose action likewise compares favorably with that ot a pneumatic wheel. i

Another object ot the invention is to provide a resilient tire or tread tor a wheel, said tread including a circumferential series ot rounded spring elements having knuckles at their outer portions and a band surrounding said spring elements and having other knuckles coperating with the knuckles aforesaid with means tor interlocking all ot the knuckles ot the same series together and providing a seat tor a cushion adapted to have direct contact with the roadway.

With the foregoing and many other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination ot parts hereinatter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details ot construction disclosed or suggested herein, still tor the purpose ot illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reterence is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reterence characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation ot a wheel made in accordance with this invention, certain parts being broken away to disclose one ot the binding hoops.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional detail on the line 2 2 ot Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view indicating especially one torm ot spring element and its relation to the two binding hoops.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view indicating a group ot spring elements similar to that shown in Fig. 3, the same being surrounded with a locking band which supports a cushion tire, this figure indicating also the relation ot the hoops -to the two series ot interlocking knuckles ot the band and the spring elements.

Fig. 5 is a plan View ot one ot the spring elements such as indicated in Fig. 3, while in fiat torm.

Fig. 6 is a modiiied torm of spring element the same being made in two parts and having locking knuckles both inside and outside considered radially ot the wheel.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view ot one ot dthe parts shown in duplicate in Fig. 6; an

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section ot the modified torm indicating its relation to the telly, the view being otherwise similar to that ot Fig. 2.

The wheel indicated may comprise any suitable hub 10, spokes 11 and telly 12, the telly being ot a rigid nature and made ot any suitable material adapted tor the reception ot transverse bolts or similar fasteners 13 serving to secure the tire supporting iianges 14 to the telly.

In the torm ot the invention shown in Figs. l and 2 I provide a band 15 which surrounds and vis snugly fitted upon the outer tace ot the telly 12 and provided with a central outwardly projecting rib 16, said rib serving to strengthen and stitten the band and more particularly to coperate with the spring elements to prevent lateral displacement the'reot with respect to the telly. The flanges 14 snugly embrace the side edges ot the band 15 and prevent the same trom movement laterally trom the telly, the flanges projecting thence outwardly in a rounded flare torming with the rib 16 a seat or channel tor the resilient tire or tread.

Referring now more particularly to Figs.

3, et and 5 as to the construction of the spring elements it will be noted that l provide an endless circular series of such elements indicated at 17 and all of uniform design. Each of these elements is formed from a blank as shown in Fig. 5. The blank comprises a main central portion 18, crimped at its center to form a groove 19 cooperating with the `rib 16 in practice, there being Jformed as integral extensions of the diagonally opposite corners of the main portion 18tonguemembers 2O each y adapted to be rolled at its tree end to form a knuckle 21. The ends of the main portion 18 are slightly wider than the central grooved portion 19 so as to dispose the two edge portions ofthe element 17 in planes substantially radial with respect to the wheel when the element is in its normal or operative form or position as shown in Figs. 3- and '-1. In other words when the elements are assembled forming an endless circular series there is practically no gap or space between any two adjacent elements.

inother main or important part of the construction consists of a band 22 substantially flat or straight in cross section in the form indicated subject, however, to varia- 4ion in this respect as may be desired and having along its side edges two series of integral lugs 23 adapted `to be rolled outwardly to form knuckles similar in charact lr to the knuckles 21. The knuckles or lugs on one side are staggered with respect to those on the opposite side or edge of the band and each two adjacent lugs or knuckles 23 being spaced to receive one of the knuckles 21 so that when the parts are assembled the knuckles 21 and 23 alternate throughout the two seriesI of such knuckles. It will be noted in this connection that the tongue members 2O of each element 17 lie alongside each other and are snugly enibraced where they so lie or overlap by said band 22. See Fig. 2. A pair of binding hoops 24 are threaded through the knuckles 21 and 28 of both series of knuckles and have their ends joined as by welding or the like in any suitable manner making a strong and continuous circular seat or channel 25 for a cushion tire 26 of any desired nature such as solid rubber, the knuckle portions of the band and spring elements in this torni of the invention all projecting outwardly beyond the plane of the band 22. lilith the device 'made in accordance with the description thus far given the entire structure may be mounted upon the telly 12 with facility when either of the flanges 14 is removed. The band 15 is introduced into the grooves 19 in the inner side of the-spring elements and -then the tire structure with the band 15 is slipped upon the telly, there being locked by reattaching the iange 14.

in that forni of the invention shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, a band 22 similar in construction to the above described band 22 is employed upon the outer surface of the telly 12 taking place of the band 15. The knuckles of this substitute band 22 are directed toward the center of the wheel or so as to lie on opposite sides of and embrace the telly. Likewise the spring elements 17 each composed of two duplicate parts 1S each having a tongue 20 and knuckles 21 on the outer side and a tongue 20 and knuckle 21 on the inner side, the knuckles 21 being interlocked with the knuckles 23 el the inner band by means of hoops 2li. .A tire made in accordance with thisl'eature of the intention may be sprung upon the .i'elly 12 in any suitable manner and locked in such position by means of lianges 14 held in place by fasteners 13. A cushion 26 or its equivalent may be employed in the channel formed on the outer side oli the periphery of the series of spring elements.

l claim:

1. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with a hub, a telly and connections between the hub and telly, of a tire structure surrounding the telly, said tire structure comprising a circular series of radially disposed rounded spring elements comprising tongues Ytermed on their free ends, each tongue terminating in a knuckle, a band surrounding the circular series of spring elements, means connecting the edges of the band to the spring element knuckles forming a channel, a tread member seated in said channel, and means to lock the tire structure to the folly.

2. ln a wheel of the character set 'forth including a telly, a band i'itted upon theperiphery of the telly, a circular series ot' spring elements of rounded forni surrounding said band, means to lock said spring elements in place upon the band from lateral movement, said spring elements including over apping tongue members terminating in rounded knuckles, the knuckles ot each element being staggered on one side with respect to those on the opposite sine of the central plane of the wheel, a band surrounding the tongue portions oif the spring elements and having rounded knuckles formed upon its opposite edoes, the latter mentioned knuckles also beingstaggered on opposite edges and lying between the respective knuckles of the spring elements, a pair oit hoops extending through all of said knuckles and interlocking the latter inentioned band and the spring elements together, and a cushion surrounding and ylocated between the knuckle and hoop portions oi the device.

3. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a felly, of a circular series of spring elements arranged radially with respect to 4, tongues terminating in a pair of circumferentally arranged laterally spaced knuckles, means cooperating Wit-h the knuckles of the spring elements serving t0 lock together circumferentially in two series the portions thereoi2 reniote from the aXis of the Wheel, and a tread member secured upon and surrounding said spring elements and located between the two series of knuckles aforesaid.

MARTIN GROSSMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Fatents, Washington, D. C. 

